Container

ABSTRACT

A container, consisting of a plastic material, having a container body (1) for receiving a fluid and having a neck part (7) adjoining the container body (1), wherein said neck part (7) having at its free end a discharge opening for the fluid, which is closed by a head part (11) and covered by a cap (19), is characterized in that the cap (19) interacts with individual blocking elements via a retaining ring (21) in such a way that, starting from an attachment position of the cap (19), rotary motions in both directions of rotation are permitted along a predetermined path of travel, in that, during a further screw-on motion beyond the predetermined path of travel, a part of second blocking elements completely passes over assigned first blocking elements and in so doing the head part (11) is penetrated by means of the respective opening part of the cap (19), and in that, during a subsequent unscrewing motion of the cap (19) for the purpose of releasing the discharge opening, the retaining ring (21) is disengaged from the cap (19) and, in the process, is secured on the neck part (7) at least temporarily against rotation in the unscrewing direction by means of at least one blocking element.

The invention relates to a container consisting of a plastic material, having a container body for receiving a fluid and having a neck part adjoining the container body, wherein said neck part having at its free end a discharge opening for the fluid, which is closed by a head part and covered by a cap, which penetrates the head part by means of at least one opening part during a screw-on motion in one direction of rotation, wherein said cap is connected to a retaining ring, forming a unit with the latter, via a connection device and, after the connection device has been disengaged, releases the discharge opening for removing fluid via the penetrated head part in the course of an unscrewing motion in the opposite direction of rotation and on removal from the container body, wherein individual blocking elements projecting outwards are provided on the neck part, wherein said blocking elements interact with individual second blocking elements projecting inwards on the retaining ring in such a way that the connection device is disengaged when the unit is rotated from an attachment position on the neck part.

Plastic containers of this type are known. Such containers can be produced in a simple and cost-effective manner by means of a blow molding, filling and sealing process (BFS process), as it is known to experts as Bottelpack® (trademark). The unit comprising cap and retaining ring can preferably be produced by injection molding. As relevant state of the art, document WO 2014/169979 A1 discloses a container of the genus mentioned above.

In particular, if such containers are intended to receive a sensitive filling material, such as food or in particular pharmaceutical or cosmetic substances, the retaining ring, which is separated from the cap by disconnecting the connection device, when the cap is rotated starting from the attachment position of the unit, i.e. for the first use of the container, is of particular importance. Because the detachment of the retaining ring from the rest of the unit provides a clear indication that the opening/closure system has been actuated, the retaining ring has the function of a quality assurance device to indicate or even prevent possible manipulation.

Based on this prior art, the invention addresses the problem of providing a container of the type mentioned, which is characterized by improved ease of use while maintaining the advantages achieved in the prior art.

According to the invention, this problem is solved by a container which has the features of patent claim 1 in its entirety.

According to the characterizing part of claim 1, an essential feature of the invention is that the blocking elements interact in such a way that rotary motions in both directions of rotation along a predetermined path of travel are permitted starting from the attachment position, in that a part of the second blocking elements passes completely over the first blocking elements during a further screw-on motion of the unit beyond the predetermined path of travel, and in so doing the head part is penetrated by means of the respective opening part of the cap, and in that the connection device being disengaged during a subsequent unscrewing motion of the cap in order to release the discharge opening and the retaining ring thereby is secured on the neck part at least partially against rotation by means of at least one blocking element.

Because according to the invention, when the unit formed by the cap and retaining ring is arranged in its attachment position, i.e. the container is in the condition as supplied to customer, a path of travel for rotational motions is available for the user for the initial opening before the connection device on the retaining ring is disconnected, the opening process is safer and thus more user-friendly compared to the known container solution mentioned. For the known container the blocking elements on the container neck and on the retaining ring engage each other in such a way that there is practically no free angle of rotation before the connection device is disconnected, i.e. the retaining ring is detached.

For the opening process by penetration of the head part, the user has to rotate the cap in the direction of rotation that produces the screw-on motion. There is a risk that the user will stop the rotary motion before the head part is completely penetrated and remove the cap by unscrewing it without actually opening the container. The invention precludes the risk that the user is left with a closed container after the cap has been removed and the quality assurance device has been detached, because the user has a path of travel available to him for the screw-on motion penetrating the head part, in which a complete penetration of the opening part of the cap on the head part occurs. Because the retaining ring is secured against rotation on the neck part of the container during the subsequent rotation in the unscrewing direction performed by the user to remove the cap, the quality assurance device is now deactivated by disconnecting the connection device, so that after unscrewing the cap the container is available to the user in a safely opened state.

In advantageous embodiments, the first blocking elements of the neck part are formed by the ends of ramps which protrude beyond the outer circumference of the neck part, wherein the second blocking elements of the retaining ring consist of individual, inclined bars on the inner circumferential side of the retaining ring. While the ramps permit the second blocking elements to be passed over when rotated in the screw-on direction, the ends of the ramps simultaneously form blocking surfaces which, after being passed over, secure the retaining ring against rotation in the unscrewing direction by contacting the respective second blocking element.

The arrangement can be advantageously made in such a way that the second blocking elements of the retaining ring are combined in pairs to form fixing groups and that every second blocking element is at a distance from the further second blocking element of a fixing group, wherein said distance is equal to or greater than the longitudinal extension of a ramp as viewed in the circumferential direction of the neck part.

The blocking elements of the fixing groups are advantageously positioned on the retaining ring in such a way that, during the screw-on motion of the cap starting from the attachment position, the blocking element of a fixing group arranged adjacent to a ramp of the neck part slides along the ramp until the ramp, completely passed by this blocking element, comes into latching engagement with the associated fixing group of second blocking elements.

In advantageous embodiments, the neck part forms an annular body in the direction of the container body, wherein said annular body supports the individual ramps, which are arranged equidistantly from one another along the outer circumference of the annular body, which on its side facing away from the container body, has a stop surface for the free end face of the cap, which comes into contact with the stop surface as soon as the respective opening part has penetrated the head part.

When the cap is screwed on in the direction of the stop surface, the cap entrains the retaining ring via the connection device, wherein said retaining ring moves coaxially with the longitudinal axis of the container body in the direction of the latter axially along the annular body until the cap abuts against the annular body.

Advantageously, the neck part has a multi-start thread between the head part and the annular body which, formed as an external thread, interacts with an internal thread on the inner side of the cap for screw-on and unscrewing operations. With special advantage the external thread can have a saw-tooth shape, which permits attaching the unit consisting of cap and retaining ring by snapping it onto the external thread, but still secures the unit against any axial motion away from the neck part.

In advantageous embodiments, the head part, which is cylindrical in shape, adjoins the external thread of the neck part via an extraction cone, wherein the free end face of said head part, formed in the manner of a membrane, can be penetrated by the opening part in the form of a mandrel in the cap.

With particular advantage, the cylindrical outer circumferential surface of the head part serves as a guide surface for a guide body of the cap, which guide body encompasses the mandrel at the rim.

As an assembly aid when attaching the closure system to the container, the retaining ring can have a marking on the outer circumference, wherein said marking can be brought into alignment with a marking on the container body in such a way that the unit on the neck part assumes its predeterminable attachment position, in which the fixing groups of the retaining ring are guided in the circumferential area between the ramps of the neck part, freely movable back and forth in opposite directions of rotation.

The connection device between the retaining ring and the cap can be implemented by means of predetermined breaking points, which act, as projecting predetermined breaking webs having a reduced cross-section, on the outer circumference of the cap until the connection device is disconnected.

The unit comprising the cap, the retaining ring and the connection device may be formed from an one-piece plastic molding, in particular an injection-molded part.

In particularly advantageous embodiments, the retaining ring has support struts on the inner circumference and outside of the fixing groups and the predetermined breaking bars, wherein said support struts, preferably starting from an upper annular surface of the retaining ring, extend axially up to a length such that, in the attachment position of the unit below the support struts, a moving space remains free for the ramps of the neck part inside the retaining ring.

The arrangement can be advantageously made in such a way that when the container body is turned and the container opening is released, the retaining ring slides down from the neck part and detaches from the container, which may be advantageous for reasons of hygiene.

In addition, the arrangement can be such that a longitudinal channel extends through the external thread of the neck part in parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container body at at least one location, wherein said longitudinal channel preferably crosses the thread path and, serving for air exchange, permits the screw on processes on and the screw off processes from the neck part for the cap without restraint.

In a particularly advantageous manner, the filled container body together with the neck part and the head part can be manufactured by means of a blow molding, filling and sealing process.

Below the invention is explained in detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing.

In the Figures:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the embodiment of the container according to the invention, wherein a unit consisting of cap and retaining ring is shown partially cut away in the longitudinal direction;

FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section of the unit consisting of cap and retaining ring drawn on a larger scale compared to FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 show broken-off side views of the neck part adjoining the container body of the embodiment, wherein two rotational positions of the container offset by 90° from each other are shown;

FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the container from which the unit has been removed;

FIG. 6 shows a perspective oblique view of the neck part without the unit attached;

FIG. 7 shows a plan view of the embodiment of the container drawn on a larger scale; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 show simplified functional sketches in which the unit is shown in the attachment position and in a position rotated relative to the neck part to illustrate the interaction of blocking elements.

The embodiment of the container according to the invention and shown in FIG. 1 has a container body 1, which has a substantially circular cylindrical shape having a vertical axis 3. A neck part 7 adjoins the end area 5 of the body 1, which is located at the top of the figure and tapers in diameter, the details of which can be most clearly seen in FIGS. 3 to 6. As shown, a tapering extraction cone 9 adjoins the free end of the neck part 7, which in turn merges into a circular cylindrical head part 11. The free end face of the head part 11 is closed by a membrane 13, which is one-piece with the head part 11 and can be penetrated to open the container. As can be seen in FIGS. 3 to 6 as well, the transition from the end area 5 of the container body 1 to the neck part 7 is formed by a circular cylindrical annular body 15, which has a larger diameter than the end area of the neck part 7 adjoining there above.

A unit 17 comprising a cap 19 is provided as an opening system by means of which the container can be opened by penetrating the membrane 13 and re-closed. As shown most clearly in FIG. 2, the cap 19 has the shape of a pot having a closed pot bottom 23 at the top of the figure and a side wall 25, which extends almost circularly cylindrical from the bottom end of the pot, to be more precise, tapering at only a very small cone angle, to the pot bottom 23. A retaining ring 21 completing the unit 17 is detachably connected to the lower rim of the cap 19 via predetermined breaking points 27. As FIG. 7 shows, the predetermined breaking points 27 are formed by an annulus of webs 29, which extend from the upper rim of the retaining ring 21 to the lower rim of the cap 19, wherein the webs 29 taper towards the connection point with the cap 19. As FIG. 7 also shows, the cap 19 has a longitudinal corrugation 31 on the outside, only part of which is numbered in FIG. 7 for clarity purposes. To form a screw connection between unit 17 and neck part 7, the cap 19 has an internal thread 33 and the neck part 7 has an external thread 35 adjoining the extraction cone 9. The threads of the external thread 35 have a sawtooth shape so that the internal thread 33 of the cap 19 can be engaged with the external thread 35 by snapping it on without rotary motion. To ensure that the attaching and the screw-on and unscrewing operations can be performed without restraint, a longitudinal channel 37 (FIGS. 4 and 6) is formed for air exchange by chamfering the threads on the external thread 35. As an opening part for penetrating the diaphragm 13, a mandrel 39 (FIG. 2) is provided which protrudes coaxially from the inside of the pot bottom 23 of the cap 19 and is surrounded by a guide body 41, which has the shape of a coaxial hollow cylinder. In this arrangement, the circular cylindrical peripheral surface of the head part 11 in interaction with the guide body 41 forms an axial guide for the cap 19.

As part of a quality assurance device, the opening device of the container on the annular body 15 of the neck part 7 has as first blocking elements three ramps 43 arranged at equal angular distances from each other, which project beyond the outer circumference of the annular body 15 and rise accordingly, in the direction of vision according to FIG. 5, up to one end 44. The latter extends in a radial plane and thus forms the stop surface of the first blocking elements. FIG. 7, in which unit 17 is shown separately and in plan view, and FIGS. 8 and 9 show the construction of the second blocking elements of the quality assurance device assigned to the retaining ring 21. As shown, the second blocking elements are formed by three pairs of blocking elements 47, each pair forming a fixing group 49. The blocking bodies 47 projecting obliquely from the inner circumference of the retaining ring 21 each form a blocking surface 51, which is opposite from the ends 44 of the ramps 43. Regarding the fixing groups 49, which are arranged at equal angular distances from each other, the distance between the blocking bodies 47 measured in the circumferential direction is slightly greater than the length of the ramps 43 in the circumferential direction. As FIGS. 2 and 7 show, the unit 17 is completed by three support struts 53 arranged at equidistant angular intervals, which, starting from the upper rim of the retaining ring 21, extend in a direction parallel to the axis 3 on the inside of the retaining ring 21 only about half the axial length of the retaining ring 21, so that a space below the support struts 53 remains free for rotational motions of the ramps 43. As only shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, there is a marking 56 in the form of a notch on the outer circumference of the retaining ring 21. When assembling the unit 17, this notch, by aligning with a (not shown) marking on the container body 1, defines the attachment position of the unit 17, wherein in said attachment position, as shown in FIG. 8, the ramps 43 are located in the free circumferential area between successive fixing groups 49. As further markings there are direction of rotation arrows 59 and 61 as visual markings on the upper side of the cap 19.

For the opening procedure the user rotates the cap 19 in accordance with the direction of the first rotation arrow 59 starting from the attachment position (FIG. 8) in the screw-on direction. In doing so, the mandrel 39 penetrates the diaphragm 13 of the head part 11 and the blocking element 47, which is always ahead in the direction of rotation, passes over the respective first blocking element by sliding on the ramp 43 until the ramp 43 comes into latching engagement with the matching fixing group 49 and the lower face of the cap 19 comes to rest against a stop surface 54 formed by the lower rim of the annular body 15. For the removal of the unit 17 for the purpose of releasing the container opening formed by the mandrel 39, the user rotates the cap 19 in the unscrewing direction indicated by the second rotation arrow 61, wherein the retaining ring 21 in interaction with the relevant locking surface 51 of the locking body 47 of the second blocking elements is secured against co-rotation, so that the predetermined breaking points 27 are torn off and the quality assurance device is detached. After removing the cap 19, the container is available to the user in the opened state for dispensing the container contents. When the container body 1 is turned over to withdraw fluid, the now free retaining ring 21 slides down from the neck part 7. If necessary, the cap 19 can be used to re-close the container. 

1. A container, consisting of a plastic material, having a container body (1) for receiving a fluid and having a neck part (7) adjoining the container body (1), wherein said neck part (7) having at its free end a discharge opening for the fluid, which is closed by a head part (11) and covered by a cap (19), which penetrates the head part (11) by means of at least one opening part (39) during a screw-on motion in one direction of rotation, wherein said cap (19) is connected to a retaining ring (21), forming a unit (17) with the latter, via a connection device (27), and, after the connection device (27) has been disengaged, releases the discharge opening for removing fluid via the penetrated head part (11) in the course of an unscrewing motion in the opposite direction of rotation and on removal from the container body (1), wherein individual first blocking elements (43) projecting outwards are provided on the neck part (7), wherein said first blocking elements (43) interact with individual second blocking elements (47) projecting inwards on the retaining ring (21) in such a way that the connection device (27) is disengaged when the unit (17) is rotated starting from an attachment position on the neck part (7), characterized in that the blocking elements (43, 47) interact in such a way that rotary motions in both directions of rotation along a predeterminable path of travel are permitted starting from the attachment position, in that a part of the second blocking elements (47) completely passes over the first blocking elements (43) during a further screw-on motion of the unit (17) beyond the predeterminable path of travel, and in so doing the head part (11) is penetrated by means of the respective opening part (39) of the cap (19), and in that the connection device (27) is disengaged during a subsequent unscrewing motion of the cap (19) in order to release the discharge opening and in the process the retaining ring (21) is secured on the neck part (7) at least temporarily against rotation in the unscrewing direction by means of at least one blocking element (47).
 2. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the first blocking elements of the neck part (7) are formed by the ends (44) of ramps (43), which protrude beyond the outer circumference of the neck part (7), and that the second blocking elements of the retaining ring consist of individual, inclined bars (47) on the inner circumferential side of the retaining ring (21).
 3. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the second blocking elements (47) of the retaining ring (21) are combined in pairs to form fixing groups (49) and that every second blocking element (47) is at a distance from the further second blocking element (47) of a fixing group (49), and in that said distance is equal to or greater than the longitudinal extension of a ramp (43) as viewed in the circumferential direction of the neck part (7).
 4. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that during the screw-on motion of the cap (19) starting from the attachment position, the blocking element (47) of a fixing group (49) arranged adjacent to a ramp (43) of the neck part (7) slides along the ramp (43) until the ramp (43), completely passed by this blocking element (47), comes into latching engagement with the associated fixing group (49) of second blocking elements (47).
 5. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the neck part (7) forms an annular body (15) in the direction of the container body (1), and in that said annular body (15) supports the individual ramps (43), which are arranged equidistantly from one another along the outer circumference of the annular body (15), which on its side facing away from the container body (1), has a stop surface (54) for the free end face of the cap (19), which comes into contact with the stop surface (54) as soon as the respective opening part (39) has penetrated the head part (11).
 6. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that when the cap (19) is screwed on in the direction of the stop surface (54), the cap (19) entrains the retaining ring (21) via the connection device (27), and in that said retaining ring (21) moves coaxially with the longitudinal axis (3) of the container body (1) in the direction of the latter axially along the annular body (15) until the cap (19) abuts against the annular body (15).
 7. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the neck part (7) has a multi-start thread between the head part (11) and the annular body (15), which, formed as an external thread (35), interacts with an internal thread (33) on the inside of the cap (19) for screw-on and unscrewing operations.
 8. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the head part (11), which is cylindrical in shape, adjoins the external thread (35) of the neck part (7) via an extraction cone (9), and in that the free end face of said head part (11), formed in the manner of a membrane (13), can be penetrated by the opening part in the form of a mandrel (39) in the cap (19).
 9. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the cylindrical outer circumferential surface of the head part (11) serves as a guide surface for a guide body (41) of the cap (19), and in that said guide body (41) encompasses the mandrel (39) at the rim.
 10. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the retaining ring (21) has a marking (56) on the outer circumference, which marking can be brought into alignment with a marking on the container body (1) in such a way that the unit (17) on the neck part (11) takes its predeterminable attachment position, in which the fixing groups (49) of the retaining ring (21) are guided in the circumferential area between the ramps (43) of the neck part (7), freely movable back and forth in opposite directions of rotation.
 11. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the connection device between the retaining ring (21) and the cap (19) can be implemented by means of predetermined breaking points (27), which act, as projecting predetermined breaking webs having a reduced cross-section, on the outer circumference of the cap (19) until the connection device is disconnected.
 12. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the unit (17) comprising of the cap (19), the retaining ring (21) and the connection device (27) is formed from an one-piece plastic molding, in particular an injection-molded part.
 13. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the retaining ring (21) has support struts (53) on the inner circumference outside of the fixing groups (49) and the predetermined breaking bars (27), and in that said support struts, preferably starting from an upper annular surface of the retaining ring (21), extend axially up to a length such that, in the attachment position of the unit (17) below the support struts (53), a moving space remains free for the ramps (43) of the neck part (7) inside the retaining ring (21).
 14. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the container body (1) is turned and the container opening is released, the retaining ring (21) slides down from the neck part (7) and detaches from the container.
 15. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that a longitudinal channel (37) extends through the external thread (35) of the neck part (7) in parallel to the longitudinal axis (3) of the container body (1) at at least one location, and in that said longitudinal channel (37) preferably crosses the thread path and, serving for air exchange, permits the screw on processes and the screw off processes from the neck part (7) for the cap (19) without restraint.
 16. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the filled container body (1) together with the neck part (7) and the head part (11) is manufactured by means of a blow molding, filling and sealing process. 